Sausage Balls

Recently, I hosted a cookie exchange (more posts coming on that soon). We had ten girls RSVP so I knew we would have lots of sweets at the party. I wanted to have a few appetizers set out that were more substantial/salty/etc than cookies. While brainstorming, I immediately thought of sausage balls!

Sausage balls are a staple at our house during Christmas. It never seems like they are served during a meal or set out as appetizers. Instead they're made, put in little cookie tins, and then people just munch on them throughout the day. They're yummy, bite sized, and can be prepared ahead of time- a perfect appetizer!

3 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 lb italian sausage (I bought the spicy kind because I like a little heat to mine)

4 cups shredded cheese

1/2 cup milk

pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. If you have a kitchen-aid mixer, this is easy with the dough hook. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the balls are golden brown. Cool completely and serve.

Tortilla Lasagna Casserole

This was delicious. But not very pretty. Hubby had 24 hour duty tonight so I wanted to bring him something more exciting than a frozen pizza or a hot pocket for dinner. This was very easy to make and delicious according to his text! Between taking his over to base and dealing with cleaning the house I completely forgot to take a picture. So... picture a burrito unwrapped and spread all over the place. That's exactly what it looks like! Recipe source.

1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained

1/2 package of taco seasoning

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup chopped green onions

3/4 cup salsa

1 5 oz. can diced green chiles

2 large tortillas

1 cup sourcream

1-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine cooked ground beef with taco seasoning, water, and green onions. Stir in salsa and green chiles.

Spray a 9- inch round cake pan with a nonstick spray. Place a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, pressing up the edges if needed. Top with half of the beef mixture. Spread half of the sour cream on top of the beef. Sprinkle with half of the cheddar cheese.

Repeat with another tortilla, followed be beef mixture, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes (remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time).

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Once again, no picture :( I actually don't eat broccoli but my husband and our other friends assured me it was delicious! Broccoli cheese casserole seems like a staple at nearly all of my family's holiday meals. This is another recipe of my aunt's!

8 oz. jar Cheese WHiz

1/4 cup margarine, divided

20 oz frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

Boil broccoli without salt until soft and drain. Cook cheese and 2 tablespoons margarine until smooth. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup of crumbs to the cheese mixture. Place into a greased 8-in baking dish. Melt remaining margarine and toss with remaining crumbs. Sprinkle over broccoli mixture. Bake uncovered at 350º for 20-25 minutes.

This can be completely prepared ahead of time up to the buttered crumbs. On the day of, take out of refrigerator and allow to warm to room temp for about 30 minutes. Follow cooking directions and enjoy!

Pesto Palmiers

This recipe appealed to me not only because I love pesto but also because it's so quick! When I have company, I hate spending lots of time in the kitchen. I'd much rather make a quick meal and spend time talking while dinner cooks. This recipe would also work if you had unexpected company and needed something to share.

The recipe is from Confections of a Foodie Bride.

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1/2-3/4 cup pesto

1 egg

1tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375º. Roll out the puff pastry on a piece of parchment into a 12x12 inch square. Spread the pesto within a 1/2 inch of each side of the pastry. Using your spatula, make three indentions on the top edge of the dough at 3 inches, 6 inches, and 9 inches to divide the sheet into quarters.

Fold the left and right edges of the puff pastry halfway to the center of the dough (to the closest quarter-mark indention). Fold the sides to the middle again until they're almost touching. Fold the two halves together like a book.

(You can stop here and freeze for later use. Just let the logs thaw a bit and then proceed)

Cut into 1/2 inch slices and place onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Whisk egg and water together and brush over the palmiers. Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes. Palmiers are best the day of baking.

Baked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

I love the recipe I use for enchiladas. It's easy, delicious, and my hubby's favorite dish. I had a lot of chicken to use up this week though so I decided to try a new recipe. I found this one over at The Mess Pot. It was very easy to put together and while it doesn't top my beef version, it still makes for a delicious meal.

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sour cream

2 cups prepared salsa

2 cups grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

Salt and Pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced

12-14 soft round 6-8 inch corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 325º. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and the sour cream. Stir in the 1/2 cup of the salsa and 1 cup of grated cheese. In a second bowl, toss together teh chicken, corn cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and 1/2 the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

In a baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of salsa over the bottom. Place about a1/4 cup of the mixture on the tortilla, roll up and transfer to the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour remaining salsa over the enchiladas, spreading to coat all of them. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and serve warm. Enjoy!

Enchi-ritos

Enchi-ritos is what Neil and I named one of our favorite meals. They are enchiladas but with flour tortillas instead of corn. Technically, they could be considered burritos, but we use enchilada sauce. This is an original recipe, although it wasn't that hard to create :) No picture for these because they disappear too quickly!

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup onion chopped (or more whatever suits your tastes)

8 (10-inch) flour tortillas

pack of taco seasoning

shredded cheddar cheese

1 can of enchilada sauce

Optional add ins:

Mexican Rice or Yellow Rice

Refried beans

1 can of green chile peppers

1 can of sliced black olives drained

Sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and chopped onion until evenly browned. Add taco seasoning according to directions. Meanwhile, pour half of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. On each tortilla, place a small amount of ground beef mixture, cheese, and any optional add ins that you want. Tightly roll the tortillas and place them seam side down in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Enjoy!